Patient, Public & Media Information

Study Asks, “Where are the Women in Orthopaedics?”

Although women account for approximately half of medical
students in the United States, they represent only 13 percent of orthopaedic
surgery residents and 4 percent of AAOS members. According to survey results to be presented Friday,
the few women who are practicing orthopaedic surgery today became interested in
the field due to factors such as the professional satisfaction and intellectual
stimulation it offers, despite the lack of female role models and their limited
exposure to orthopaedics prior to residency.

The authors contend that programs designed to improve
mentorship and increase early exposure to orthopaedics play an important role
in attracting the best and brightest of both sexes to orthopaedic surgery.

Study methodsThe objective of this study was to understand why female orthopaedic
surgeons chose the specialty, what perceptions they think might deter other
women from pursuing this field, and the roles early exposure to orthopaedics
and mentorship might play in this choice.

A 21-question survey was emailed to all members of the
Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society (n = 556). Questions were formulated to
determine demographics, practice patterns, and lifestyle choices of female
orthopaedic surgeons. Specific questions evaluated the respondents’ selection
of orthopaedics and their opinions of why more women do not choose this field.

ResultsResponses were received from 232 members (41.7 percent).

The following were the most common reasons proposed for
why women might not choose orthopaedics:

perceived inability to have a good work/life balance

perception that too much physical strength is
required

lack of strong mentorship in medical school or
earlier

The most common specialties among respondents were hand
(24 percent), general orthopaedics (20 percent), pediatric orthopaedics (19
percent), and sports medicine (15 percent). A majority of respondents reported
practicing in an academic (42 percent) or hospital employed (21 percent)
setting. Seventy-five percent of respondents considered themselves to be in a
committed relationship, and 52 percent have children.

“Our key findings suggest that lack of exposure to
musculoskeletal medicine, lack of mentorship, and lack of female role models
may play a prominent role in the paucity of women entering orthopaedics,” said Julie E. Adams, MD, one of the study’s
authors.

“In addition,” she asserted, “stereotypes—such as the
perception that ‘too much strength” is required—or perceptions regarding poor
work-life balance may deter women from pursuing orthopaedic surgery. Future
work is needed to understand and improve the pipeline of qualified medical
students who enter the field of orthopaedic surgery. Promoting mentorship and
female role models in orthopaedics will ensure the future of orthopaedic
surgery and that we will continue to attract the best and brightest of both
sexes to enter our field.”

Details of the
authors’ disclosures as submitted to the Orthopaedic Disclosure Program can be
found in the Final Program; the most current disclosure information may be
accessed electronically at www.aaos.org/disclosure